Shot Down
by AnnaTW
Summary: "Hey you don't want be with me. I get it." Tony waved his hand and took another swig of his beer. - PEPPERONY!


**It came to me. Please say it isn't bad. And sorry for any grammar mistakes or anything, I haven't got a great spell-checker. Go with it.**

It'd been bad. _So_ bad. Pepper was rolling over in her bed, she couldn't sleep. Granted she'd only be trying for half an hour, but after a whole day at work Pepper usually only took less than two minutes to pass out. Sighing and groaning in frustration, Pepper sat up in her bed and swung her legs to the side. Throwing on a breezy skirt which she'd worn the night before with her friends and a strap-top, Pepper put on a pair of flip-flops and grabbed her keys and walked out her apartment.

She intended to try and have a proper conversation with Tony and sort this whole mess out. It'd been so awkward and she couldn't quite figure out what'd a_ctually _happened between them. When she reached his house though, Jarvis had informed her that he went out immediately after their conversation earlier that night. Rolling her eyes, Pepper headed out for Tony's usual club. She knew exactly where he'd be, The Harrow.

As she walked in, she was met by unnecessarily loud music and a sea of people. She cringed as she knew she had to crawl through all the sweaty bodies to try and find Tony. He was bound to be there and Pepper wouldn't be able to get to sleep without this being settled. She'd just managed to peel herself from an eager 30 year-old looking man and turned.

Pepper spotted him at the bar. His head was hung and his shoulders were slumped. His jeans had ridden down and were hanging off of his hips, while his dress shirt was now crumpled and un-tucked from his belt. She saw him jester with his hand to the bartender to give him another Budweiser and then it moved to scratch the back of his head nervously. She walked over and touched his shoulder, he turned and his whole body froze.

Pepper didn't speak, at first she just let the moment hang between them. It was broken by the bartender setting a beer down in front of Tony. He gave Tony the eye Pepper gave him when he'd had too much to drink and needed to slow down. Tony ignored it and shrugged her hand off of his shoulder so that he could pick up his beer.

After drinking half of it down in one gulp, Tony looked straight ahead and let out a bitter laugh "Come here to give me the pity talk?"

"No, it's just. I wasn't expecting it." Pepper tried to make excuses "You're my _boss._"

"Hey you don't want be with me. I get it." Tony waved his hand and took another swig of his beer.

"Tony. Don't be like that-"

"Like what?" Tony turned now, clearly tipsy and very pissed off "Like I _finally _got up the courage to tell you how I feel and you just completely shoot me down."

"I was just confused-"

"Confused?" Tony put his beer down and closed in on her "Oh yeah because I bet you didn't get the faintest hint that I was into you before I flat-out told you."

"I didn't!"

"Right, so the no more late nights, crazy parties and drunken incidents weren't big enough clues for you?" Pepper went to talk, but Tony cut her off "And if that wasn't enough, I thought the fact I haven't nearly _looked _at another woman let alone slept with one for the past 8months would have given you some type of hint."

Tony leaned back at Pepper's expression and laughed harshly.

"Tony I didn't realise that you felt as strongly as this." Pepper fidgeted from one foot to the other and looked awkwardly to make sure no-one could see them making a scene within the thumping crowd.

"No, well, i'm Tony Stark. I don't have any feelings right?" Tony took one more swig of his beer and turned to look at Pepper "I'll make sure not to cause so much bother for you next time Pepper."

With that, Tony nodded at her before disappearing into the crowd. Pepper was a bit confused as to what had just happened. How had he managed to make her feel so c_rap_? Simple as, she wasn't sure it'd work out and so she was just trying to slow him down a bit so that she could process what he'd said. But he was doing a surprisingly good job at giving her the guilt trip. She didn't want the night to end like that.

Snapping back into reality thanks to a drunk blonde bumping into her, Pepper looked towards the crowd and saw Tony's head moving as he weaved his way towards the door.

"Tony!" Pepper screamed his name, hurting her throat in the process, trying to get his attention over the House music. He obviously didn't hear her so Pepper decided to brave it and make her way through the crowd herself.

"Tony! Tony will you just wait- Oh sorry-" Pepper apologised as she bumped into a couple who were too busy grinding to notice. She turned back to the man she was in pursuit and lunged to grab the cuff of his rolled up shirt sleeve. "Tony, will you just listen to me."

He rolled his eyes and turned to face Pepper "What's the point?"

"Because you haven't let me explained why I said what I did." They were both yelling at each other so they could hear what they were saying over the music. Also thanks to the quantity of people moving to the music, they were pressed right up against one another.

"There's nothing to say Pepper. You don't want this-" he gestured to the tiny space between them "-to happen. So let's just carry on."

"No." Pepper slapped his chest "I didn't think it'd be good idea because I don't know if you can't commit. You're so free-lance Tony. You get bored easily and if nothing holds your attention long enough you get rid of it." she sighed "And I didn't want to just be another one of your machines. So forgive me for being a bit confused when my boss decides to tell me that he has feelings for me."

Tony was getting angrier by the minute "Wait, what? Why else would I make this much of a deal? I've never gone out and got drunk over a girl before, and I know I definitely have never c_ried _over one. Why can't you admit to yourself that it possible for me to simply _like _you?" the music seemed to fade out and Pepper could only concentrate on Tony's voice "And that I might just want to take you on a date. And look after you when you get one of your hellish colds." Tony looked around, trying desperately not to cry "And call you up when I miss you."

Pepper never thought Tony would be so open to her. Tony looked down at his feet "Because i'm Tony Stark." he looked back up to stare her in the eyes "Heartless, play-boy, millionaire. How could I possibly ever care for someone? So just do us both a favour and come to work next week, forget about this whole night."

With that Tony turned to walk out of the club. He was broken. Pepper was the first girl to ever say no to him. And she was the first girl he'd ever properly cared about. Apart from his mum obviously. But it was too much to take in, so when Pepper had said it wouldn't be the best idea, he broke. And turned to the only thing he knew best, apart from woman and mechanics, alcohol.

Pepper's hand on Tony's forearm stopped him from walking away just yet. She reached forward, her hands on either side of his face. And she kissed him. Tony didn't react so her hands travelled down to pull at the lapels of his shirt collar and pulled him even closer. She leaned back in to kiss him again. Tony's own hands went to her shoulders and travelled up to reach her hands and pull them off of his collar. He pulled his lips from hers and rested his forehead against hers for a minute. Just breathing heavily.

"I don't want a pity shag Pepper. And I don't want you're sympathy." He pulled back fully and looked her in the eye "Just please do me a favour and let me take what's left of my pride." With that Tony walked away and out of the club.

Before Pepper could register her own actions, she took off. She ran towards the entrance and burst out of the door. Outside it was dark. It was well into the early hours of the morning and there weren't many people around. The bouncer gave Pepper an odd look as she tried to compose herself. The few people in the line outside carried on with their conversation and ignored Pepper's irritation. Pepper looked down the street and saw Tony was standing on the corner of the road. She walked over to him.

"It's not a pity shag you asshole." Pepper whacked him on the side of the head "You give me a big long speech about how you want this and then when I kiss you... and you just take off?"

"Yeah well it's hard to believe that one minute you don't want it, and the next you do. And I have to tell you now, if you thought a one night thing will get this out of my system, then you'd be wrong. The only thing it'd do is make me want it even more." Tony stated.

Pepper leaned forward "Just make sure you're there when I wake up in the morning." Pepper breathed in his ear before leaning to kiss him again. Her hands caressed his skin and threaded in his dishevelled hair. Tony pulled her against him. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. He gave in because he wanted this and it seemed like Pepper _had _actually changed her mind. She wanted it as much as he did and Tony wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. His skin was on fire at every touch and brush of Pepper's. Her nails scraped at the skin on his neck. It sent shivers down his spine and his hand found its way under the hem of her top. His tongue darted into her mouth and shocked her at first, until her own started to stroke with his.

After a minute, Tony's eyes widened and he pushed Pepper back gently. Her hands were still gripping at Tony's shirt and his hands were still under Pepper's top.

"Mansion."

* * *

Tony woke up with an odd feeling.

He felt increasingly warm on the left side of his back. Turning his head, he saw her. Her red-hair covered most of her face and her lips slightly parted. Tony was lying on his stomach, his arms and legs splayed out. Half of Pepper's body was on top of Tony's and her arm was resting across his waist. Mystery of the warmth solved.

Smiling he turned his head properly he kissed her on the lips. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Shocker," She croaked out sarcastically "You're still here."

"Yeah well, i'm trapped." Tony gestured to her arm.

"Oh so if I wasn't here you'd be gone, it's like that is it?" Pepper couldn't help, but smile.

"Come on," Tony elongated "it's me."

"Fine then," Pepper slowly peeled herself from his body and turned to get out of the bed "I know when i'm not wanted."

She was stopped by a hand pulling her to flop on the bed on her back, she giggled. "I don't remember saying that." Tony said.

He rolled her over so that she was on his back while he was on his side, leaning over her. He leaned down and kissed her. Smiling into the kiss, Pepper grabbed his head and pulled him into the kiss. It grew more intense, until they needed to breathe. Tony nuzzled her neck and lightly bit at her shoulder. Pepper groaned.

"So you going to stick around?" Tony's voice was muffled "Or are you still planning on this being a one-night thing?"

He lifted his head to look down at her; he smiled at her and brushed her hair out of her eyes. She smiled back up at him "...I think i'll stick around."

"Sounds perfect." Tony ghosted against her lips before leaning down to kiss her again.

**I wasn't sure what I was doing with this story. I just knew I wanted Tony to be getting annoyed and a bit drunk about Pepper turning him down. Got a bit lost towards the end... did I muck it all up?**

**HAPPY WRITING (: AnnaTW**


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